Weekly Health Tips

Losing Excess Fat May Help Heart

Posted: 09.25.2014

Being overweight or obese is linked with a higher risk of heart disease. A new study suggests that losing extra pounds anytime in adulthood, even in middle-age or later, may benefit the heart. Researchers followed 1,300 people from birth and categorized them as normal weight, overweight or obese at various ages of their life. The more years the participants carried excess body fat in adulthood, the more likely they were to have diabetes, high blood pressure and narrowing of the arteries as they aged. Those who dropped down into a lower weight category at any time as an adult also lowered their risk of these conditions.